


Delicacy

by wintertime_woe



Category: Monsta X (Band)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Coffee Shops & Cafés, Alternate Universe - College/University, But mostly fluff, Fluff, Hyungkyun rise, Lil' bit of angst, M/M, Mutual Pining, Pining, changkyun is soft, hyungwon is softer
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-09-11
Updated: 2018-09-11
Packaged: 2019-07-11 04:23:16
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,919
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/15964625
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/wintertime_woe/pseuds/wintertime_woe
Summary: To him, Changkyun was a delicacy.





	Delicacy

He felt the damp earth beneath him start to slowly seep into his clothing.

He felt the bumps and ridges of the rough bark behind him dig into his back.

He felt the brisk air around him slide across his exposed skin and penetrate his soft cheeks like needles.

He felt all of these things, and the slight discomfort that they brought, but he was detached from his body. His mind was floating and overlapping with the misty fog above his head. His gaze was centered on the text in front of him, but his vision was blurry. His thoughts were of everything but the knowledge he held in his hands.

Changkyun was daydreaming.

He tried his best not to; he tried his best to reel back his mind after he started to drift, but a moment of distraction turned into seconds, which transformed into minutes and soon became an hour. Eventually he realized what he had done, and cursed himself, the feeling of disappointment and self hatred swirling around his mind once again.

He pulled his phone out of his book bag and let out a puff of breath when he saw the time. He watched his hot breath form into clouds in front of his face, and wished for a moment that he too could dissipate at will.

But harsh reality didn't budge, and Changkyun slowly heaved his body into a standing position. He slung his bag over his shoulder and guided his heavy feet towards one of his favorite places on earth.

~~~~~~~~~~

Loneliness isn't a word that most people would associate with Changkyun. His cheerful personality and kind actions would give most people the idea that he was swarming with friends and loved ones. Most people would assume that Changkyun was surrounded by people, but that didn't make it true.

Changkyun entered the coffee shop, the soft chime of the bell above his head sending a wave of comfort throughout his body. He breathed in the smell of roasted coffee beans, savoring the rich flavor that invaded his senses and the slight bitterness that followed.

He made his way behind the counter, swinging open the wooden barrier and tossing his book bag onto the hardwood floor. He slipped the black work apron over his head and reached behind his back to tie the string behind him with his small but nimble fingers. He brushed his chestnut hair back a couple of times, working out the knots that the wind formed not long ago.

He glanced over at his co-worker, whose dark head of hair was hunched over, staring at his phone. Changkyun approached his colleague and gently nudged the man with his elbow.

"Hyunwoo-hyung...I'm here early so I can cover the rest of your shift; you’re finally free," Changkyun said teasingly with a small smile. Hyungwon glanced up warmly at the younger boy, and quickly pocketed his phone to give Changkyun his full attention. 

"Are you sure? I can stay and keep you company" Hyunwoo offered, but he already knew what the boy's answer would be. On several occasions Changkyun had arrived early and relieved his co-workers of their shift. It was fun to tease him every once in a while for his odd love for the cafe, but Shownu knew how much Changkyun enjoyed brewing and being surrounded by the warm scent of coffee. 

“I’m sure, hyung, you better leave before I change my mind,” Changkyun teased, although both of them knew that he wouldn’t.

"Thanks, Changkyun-ah, I appreciate it. I’ll tell Kihyun that you said hi," Hyunwoo gave the younger a sweet grin, taking off his uniform and exiting the shop, but not without ruffling the younger’s hair fondly on his way out. Changkyun watched him as he retreated, and he was reminded of all of the differences between himself and Hyunwoo, something that he always seemed to do around the older male. 

Changkyun knew that Hyunwoo worked at the coffee shop to earn extra money in his free time, while Changkyun worked there for his college tuition and his love of coffee. Changkyun knew that both him and Hyunwoo went to the same local college, but Hyunwoo received monthly payments from his parents to pay for food and college expenses, while Changkyun struggled to pay rent for his studio apartment that he shared with his best friend. Changkyun knew that Hyunwoo had several groups of friends and steady boyfriend of 3 years, while Changkyun was a still-in-the-closet introvert who desperately wanted friends but had never had any. And although Hyunwoo was like an older brother to him, and Changkyun loved him dearly, he couldn’t help but feel as if Hyunwoo was a “new and improved” version of himself. 

But Changkyun didn't resent the loneliness that surrounded him, being the overly optimistic kid that he was. The energy that most people would spend on parties and get-togethers, Changkyun spent studying to maintain his above average GPA. The little bit of extra money that he had left from his scarce paycheck was spent on bread to feed the birds that littered the sidewalk outside of his apartment, and that was enough company for him.

But Changkyun deserved much more than he currently had, and no one had noticed before Chae Hyungwon.

Clearing his head of the temporary wave of self-pity, Changkyun settled back into his default emotionless persona. He glanced around the shop, vacant except for himself and a woman typing on her laptop, nursing a latte.

This came as somewhat of a shock to him, although it really shouldn't have. Up until that day, Changkyun worked the morning shift, and attended night classes at his college. But with the upcoming semester, his required classes were held during the morning. It was Changkyun's first day working at night, and he'd be lying if he said it didn't give him a slight sense of anxiety. 

But Changkyun didn't complain, for the time passed quickly for him. He either spent his time alone studying his textbook, or attempting to study his textbook, but daydreaming instead.  
His eyes were scanning the pages of his biology textbook, attempting to soak up as much knowledge as he could, when the opening of the front door caused the little bell to let out a welcoming chime. Changkyun quickly dog eared the page and popped his head up to greet the approaching customer.

"Hello, how can I help you?"

~~~~~~~~~~~~

Chae Hyungwon loved the feeling of unconsciousness, which usually came in the form of sleeping.

He loved it when his heavy head fell onto his pillow, and his fluffy pink hair collapsed in its haphazard way.

He loved it when his heavy eyelids slowly lowered, and a small wave of stinging pain spread throughout his tired eyes.

He loved it when his body became numb and fuzzy, knowing that it can rest for at least a couple of hours.

He loved it when he first collapsed on his mattress, and his mind was void of any thoughts or emotions...but he hated it when he was forced to think.

Lying in his messy bed, his thoughts seemed to suffocate him. His pain, his loneliness seemed to manifest into a bullet that pierced through his chest. His thoughts, his doubts and his insecurities bombarded him to the point where he could barely breathe. Like clockwork, his eyes snapped open when the pain in his chest became too much to bear.

He squinted into the dark space that surrounded him, and parted his lips to greedily breathe in the cold air. He curled his tall body into a fetal position and gripped the blanket tighter in his hand. He stared blankly at the space in front of him, and blinked slowly. Once. Twice. His eyelashes drifted into his vision, and his eyelids became heavier.

Hyungwon mentally strained, forcing his subconscious to think only of cheap things; placeholders that would keep him afloat until his consciousness departed. Thoughts that would keep him from drowning. Thoughts that would keep him safe, even if it was only until his dreams took control.

Another thing Chae Hyungwon loved was silence.

He loved the soft humming of nothingness when it was absolutely silent. He loved the wave of serenity that would wash over him when only the sound of air reached his eardrums. He loved it when he was in his house and the only thing he could hear was the mechanical whirring of his computer. He loved it when he was outside, listening to the sounds of chirping insects and rogue birds.

Silence was Chae Hyungwon's favorite sound. This is, until he met Lim Changkyun.

~~~~~~~~~~

"Fuck," Hyungwon groaned in frustration, reaching out blindly to try and silence his blaring phone that woke him from his slumber.

His hand skimmed his bed sheets for what seemed like minutes, but was more likely 30 seconds, before finally grasping his metal device. He squinted as he read the white numbers on the bright screen.

"Ugh," he groaned again as he saw 7:30 p.m. glowing on his phone.

"You'd think I'd be used to this by now," he thought bitterly, throwing the thick comforter off of his body and replacing it with cold air.

He grudgingly stumbled out of bed and threw on a pair of black skinny jeans, along with the blue collared shirt that he hated with a passion. The blueberry color of his shirt did not match the bubblegum color of his hair, no matter how much his co-worker tried to convince him that it did. 

After shrugging on a black coat to combat the night weather, he shoved on a pair of black boots to try and salvage his sense of style.

Hyungwon glanced in the dirty mirror hanging on the wall of his one bedroom apartment and sighed. His pale face looked back at him, and he let out a dry chuckle at his bedhead. He absentmindedly ruffled it, and continued his trek outside. His body naturally fell into its' routine, and his feet seemed to lead him unconsciously down the concrete sidewalk as they did every weekday.

As he walked down the familiar path, his mind wandered to the same thoughts as they always did. Hyungwon thought about how he fucking hated his job. Working the midnight shift everyday at the same shitty convenience store, having the deal with the same drunken assholes that were hell bent on ruining his night. Hyungwon thought about his family, and how they still had yet to accept the lifestyle that he was currently living. Hyungwon thought about his profession, and how the only comments he received were negative ones.

The soft glow of the coffee shop in the distance broke his reverie, and his tongue anticipated the bitter taste of hot caffeine that was yet to come. And while his taste buds were excited, Hyungwon himself was not. Every night he had to deal with the same barista. The barista that he couldn't care to remember the name of, but the one whose passive aggressive personality gave him a headache, and who continually tried to convince Hyungwon to order something else other than his usual order, but failing to realize that an Americano was the only thing that Hyungwon could afford.

Setting his annoyance aside, he stepped inside the familiar coffee shop. A head of fluffy brown hair at the front of the shop caught his attention, and Hyungwon furrowed his eyebrows slightly in confusion. Didn't the barista before have red-

"Hello, how can I help you?"


End file.
